Montana halts wolf trapping and hunting in certain areas of the state
Several wolves from Yellowstone National Park were killed after leaving park grounds
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wolf hunting is over for the season in southern parts of Montana.
State officials had previously voted to end the season after several wolves from the Yellowstone area were killed by hunters once outside state park's borders. While these kills weren't illegal, the situation did raise concerns with local wildlife officials.
Wolf hunting in parts of Montana has been halted after the reduced quota was recently hit. (iStock)
Fox News previously reported that the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to pause wolf trapping and hunting in areas in southern Montana once 82 wolves had been harvested. That threshold has reportedly been hit and the state has ordered wolf hunters to remove equipment from the area.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}During the recent hunting season, 20 wolves from Yellowstone were shot by hunters – only about 94 wolves are still living in the park. It is believed that all the wolves of the Phantom Lake Pack have been killed since October, meaning that the pack is now considered eliminated.
During the recent hunting season, 20 wolves from Yellowstone were shot by hunters. (iStock)
While wolf hunting is prohibited in Yellowstone, wolves will sometimes wander from the park and then fall prey to hunters. The 20 wolves that were killed from Yellowstone were hunted in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
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Last year, Montana eliminated wolf hunting quotas in some areas and also loosened hunting and trapping rules.
During the same time period, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would be researching whether federal endangered species protections should be restored for wolves living near the Rockies. Wolf hunting regulations have recently been changed in several states due to wolf populations preying on big game herds and livestock.
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Last year, Montana eliminated wolf hunting quotas in some areas and also loosened hunting and trapping rules. (iStock)
This year, 82 wolves were harvested in the region as of Thursday, KTVH reports.
Wolf hunting has been paused in an area that stretches from Helena to Yellowstone National Park.